Latching mechanism for a burial casket or the like



Oct. 1, 1968 R. c. BENCENE LATCHING MECHANISM FOR A BURIAL CASKET OR THE LIKE Filed March 7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'llflll"1ll'lidrl INVENTOR. ROBA'RT C. BENCENE ATTORNEYS Oct. 1, 1968 R. c. BENCENE L-ATCHING MECHANISM FOR A BURIAL CASKET OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 7, 1966 INVENTOR. ROBE/27' c. 5-c- A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,403,432 LATCHING MECHANISM FOR A BURIAL CASKET OR THE LIKE Robert C. Beneene, Jamestown, N.Y., assignor to Weber- Knapp Company, Jamestown, N.Y. Filed Mar. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 532,153 Claims. (Cl. 27-17) This invention relates to burial caskets, or other cabinets, containers, or the like; and more particularly to caskets or containers having multiple-piece covers or lids arranged for closing in sequence against compressible sealing means and thereupon effecting a hermetically sealed casing.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved latching mechanism for sequentially drawing closed and latching in hermetically sealed positions the separate lid or cover portions of a casket or the like as aforesaid, in improved manner.

Another object is to provide a device as aforesaid which is economically in construction and fail-safe; and wherein the hermetic seals between the lid portions and the container body are reliably attained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means as aforesaid for latching the lid and container portions together, wherein the locking means involves a minimum of visible parts such as would other wise detract from the external appearance of the system when the lid portions are open.

Another object is to provide a device as aforesaid which is operable to an intermediate cover holding position whereat the covers are firmly gripped to the container while the gasket devices are only partially compressed; thereby adapting the casket or the like to withstand the rigors of shipping, storing or other handling while at the same time protecting the cover gaskets against ruinous fatigue-causing or other distorting stresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved lid latching device as aforesaid which is simple in construction and easily installed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, wherein;

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a burial casket embodying the present invention; partly broken away to show in vertical section the latch mechanism and showing by means of solid lines the lid portions thereof in locked down positions, and by means of broken lines the lid portions in partially raised positions;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as suggested by line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; but showing by solid lines the latch mechanism thereof in open position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7, 8 are enlarged scale fragmentary sectional views corresponding to FIG. 5 but taken on lines 7-7 and 88 of FIG. 2, respectively; and

FIGS. 9, are fragmentary sectional views taken on lines 9-9 and 1( 10 of FIGS. 1 and 8, respectively.

The invention is illustrated by way of example as being embodied in a burial casket comprising a body portion 12 which may of course be of any preferred construction but is shown herein as being of sheet metal construction, having side walls 14 and a bottom plate 15. The

3,403,432 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 ICE upper edges of the side walls are inwardly flanged as indicated at 16, on the uppermost surfaces of which are mounted cover-sealing means in the form of compressible gasket material designated 18. In the example illustrated herein a pair of hinged cover or lid members 20, 22 are provided for closing the casket, and each cover member includes an inwardly projecting bottom ledge portion 24 which bears against the gasket 18 when the cover is closed. It is to be understood that the cover portions may be hinged at their rear edges to the casket body by any preferred means; and that whereas the cover arrangement is shown herein to comprise only two substantially equal length portions, the cover arrangement may be otherwise subdivided into any other preferred number of sections of any other preferred length dimen- SlOl'lS.

As illustrated at FIG. 1 the conjoining end portions of the cover members 21), 22 are constructed so that one end of the cover member 22 overlaps a depressed ledge portion 26 of the cover member 20, with a sealing gasket 28 disposed therebetween. Thus, when the cover members are disposed in casket-closing positions as shown in FIG. 1, the gasket devices 18, 28 will hermetically seal the entire device. Whereas the cover portions 20, 22 are adapted to be manually swung on their hinges from vertically upstanding open positions down to horizontal positions when they rest upon the gasket devices 18, 28, the present invention relates to an improved pulldown and locking mechanism for subsequently drawing the cover members sequentially still further downwardly and locking them in gasket-compressing positions. For this purpose one or more latch devices, as may be preferred, will be provided in association with each section of the cover construction, as will now be described in detail.

As shown herein, the head end lid portion 22 is provided with a pair of combination pull-down and locking units as are indicated generally at 30, 32; while the foot end lid member 20 is provided with only one such unit as designated generally at 34. Hereinafter said units will be referred to as latch devices. The lid member 20 is arranged to be closed prior to closing of the head end cover member 22, and because the cover member 22 overlaps and presses down against the conjoining end flange of the cover member 20, it has been found that whereas at least two relatively spaced apart latch devices are preferably employed as indicated at 30, 32, only one latch device located as indicated at 34 will suffice to control the foot end cover member. However, it is to be understood that any other number of latch units may be employed in conjunction with either one or both of the lid members 20, 22, as may be preferred.

As shown in the drawing herewith, the latch units each includes a strike :such as is designated generally at 40 comprising (as best illustrated at FIGS. 5, 6, 7) a bifurcated rod or stem bolt-ed at its upper end as indicated at 41 to extend downwardly from the bottom flange 24 of the corresponding cover member and carrying at its lower end a bearing roller 42. Thus, it will be understood that when the lid member is swung down toward closed position the strike member entens correspondingly apertured portions of the flange and gasket members 16, 18; until the cover member simply rests by gravity in substantially free and non-compressing relation 0n the gasket 18. Operation of the latching system then causes the strike roller member 42 to be engaged and pulled downwardly upon, thereby drawing the cover member down into gasket-compressing and holding relation as will now be explained in further detail.

The strike engaging system as shown herein by way of example comprises a pair of latch bars 44, 46; each bar being in operative association with the latch units of one of said cover members. The latch bars are structurally similar except that they are arranged for directionally reverse operation; each bar including strike engaging latch blades appropriately located to match the strikes of the corresponding lid member. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7, the latch bar 44 includes a single latch blade 48 which is riveted as indicated at 49 (FIG. 7) or otherwise fixed at its opposite ends to the latch bar 44; the latch *bar 44 comprising a channel-shaped member arranged to be freely slidable longitudinally in vertical support hanger brackets '50 which suspend from the top flange portion 16 of the member 12, by means of machine screws indicated at 52. As shown at 54, nylon buttons or other suitable frictionless devices are preferably disposed between the bottom surface of the latch bar and the bottom surfaces of the support brackets; the buttons 54 being conveniently provided with stem portions projecting into apertures in the hangers for maintaining the cushion buttons in proper position. Spring washers (not shown) may preferably be employed under the buttons 54 to keep them in slide-contacting positions.

The latch blade 48 includes an upstanding horizontally projecting nose portion 55 (FIG. 7) so positioned as to freely slide through the fork portion of the striker 40 above the position of the roller 42 when the casket lid is lowered to simply rest upon the gasket 18. The nose portion 55 is camshaped along its lower edge so that whenever the latch bar is displaced as from the solid line position thereof shown in FIG. 7 toward the left and to the broken line indicated position thereof, the camming action of the nose portion 55 forces the strike member to pull down upon the lid 20 so as to partially compress the gasket 18. At this time a flat bottom surface 56 of the latch member 48 moves into holding position relative to the strike roller 42. A second (lower) cam slope portion 57 leads downwardly from the cam surface 56 into a second fiat land portion 58, for purposes to be explained hereinafter.

The latch bar 46 is similarly equipped with latch blades 60, 60 each positionally corresponding to one of the strikes 40-40 of the lid 22; the latch blades 60, '60 being directionally pointed however opposite to the latch blade 48. Each latch blade 60 includes a nose portion 61 which is cam-shaped along its lower edge as indicated at 62 (FIG. leading into a bottom flat land surface 64. To operate the latch mechanism in accordance with the pres ent invention I provide a hand crank mechanism which is generally indicated at 65 and which comprises (as best shown by FIGS. 3, 4) a drive shaft 66 journalled in a bracket 67 carried by the casket front side wall structure as by means of machine screws 68 (FIG. 3). The outer end portion 69 of the drive shaft is spline-socketed to slidably receive the shank of a hand crank as indicated at 70 (-FIG. 4), for manual control and rotation of the drive shaft 66. Thus only the extreme outer end portion 69 of the drive shaft projects through the side wall structure and is visible to view.

Interiorly of the bracket 67 the drive shaft 66 carries a bevel gear 72 which engages a companion gear 74 keyed to a lead screw device 75. The lead screw 75 is journ-alled for rotation on the bracket '67 and extends therethrough at its opposite ends int-o screw-thread connected relations with the latch bars 44 and 46 by means of nuts 76, 78 fixed to the bars 44, 46 respectively (FIGS. 1, 2, 8, The lead screw 75 is oppositely threaded whereat the nuts 76, 78 respectively are engaged, whereby it will be understood that rotation of the lead screw 75 will cause the latch bars 44, 46 to longitudinally displace in opposite directions as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2. Hence, for example, rotation of the hand crank 70 in clockwise direction as viewed by the operator will cause both latch bars to be drawn inwardly toward the center of the mechanism,

thereby causing the corresponding latch blades to engage their corresponding strikes and to pull them downwardly and int-o lid locking positions. Reverse rotation of the crank will then of course retract the latch blades from strike-engaging positions and free the lids.

To stabilize the lat-ch bar 44 while traveling in response to operation of the crank-screw mechanism, intermediate guide brackets as indicated at 80 (FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 9) may be provided at any position required. Thus as best shown at FIGS. 8, 9, a guide bracket for such purpose may comprise a stirrup 82 fixed to the casket flange 16 by means of screws 84 to suspend therefrom. The stirrup 82 includes horizontally extending and vertically spacedapart flange portions 86, 88; these flange portions being located so as to slidably receive therebetween the latch bar 44, thereby guiding it against deflection intermediately of the crank-gear box and the latch unit 34, and holding all of the operative parts in mutual alignment.

As heretofore indicated, it is a particular feature of the present invention that the latch devices engaging the lids 20, 22 operate. sequentially instead of simultaneously to engage and pull-down and lock the lids to the casket; and/or reversely, to release the lid members. This arrangement is provided so that the foot end lid 20 may be initially swung down into closing position and then 'held in place, by rotation of the handle 70 through a limited range of operation. Then the head end lid 22 may later be lowered, and subsequently also engaged by the latching mechanism upon further rotation of the handle 70.

The latch blades 48, 60, 60 are longitudinally positioned on the latch bar mechanism so that rotation of the control handle 70 (in locking direction) initially causes the latch blade 48 to contact its strike and cam it downwardly along the slope portion 55 until the gasket material under the lid 20 is only partially compressed. Then, when it is desired to close the entire casket, the crank 70 is further rotated, thereby simultaneously causing the sloping cam surfaces 62-62 of the latch blades 60, 60 to operatively engage their corresponding strike rollers 42, 42, while at the same time causing the latch blade 48 to travel further inwardly of its strike device; the flat land portion 56 thereof simply travelling in constant bearing relation with the roller 42. Thus, both covers are now being held by their latch devices in partial gasket-compressing positions.

Then, upon subsequent further rotation of the crank 70, the lower end portions of the sloping cam surfaces 6262 of the latch blades 60-60 draw the cover member 22 further downwardly while at the same time the sloping cam surface 57 of the latch blade 48 is operating to draw the cover member 20 also further downwardly until both covers are forced into fully compressing relation against the gasket 18. Finally, the latch blades are all terminally displaced so that the fiat land portions 58 and 64 thereof are in engagement with their strike rollers; whereby it will be understood that the casket covers are now locked down in fully compressed-gasket positions.

Thus it will be appreciated that when the casket is first assembled at the factory and prepared for shipment, the covers may be lowered thereon and the hand crank 70 rotated only far enough so as to draw both covers down into only partially gasket-compressing positions. This prepares the casket for shipping, storage, or other handling without risk of damage such as might occur if the covers were left in totally unlatched positions; while at the same time avoiding total compression of the gasket material such as would fatigue the latter and prevent the subsequent attainment of the desired hermetic seal.

By virtue of this latching arrangement, when the casket is put to use the undertaker may optionally display the entire body occupying the casket, or only the upper part thereof. If only the foot end cover member is to be closed, it is preferable to operate the latch mechanism so as to cause the latch blade 48 to draw the cover member down into partial gasket-compressing position as explained hereinabove, because it then not only secures the cover but also holds it down in a truly horizontal appearing position. Then when the casket is later to be completely closed, the head end cover member is simply manually lowered whereupon the crank 70 is rotated still further to provide the sequential cover pull-down and locking action described hereinabove.

As indicated at 90 (FIG. 2) a compression gasket in the form of a rubber pad or the like may be conveniently mounted between the crank support bracket '67 and the front wall structure 14 of the casket and around the drive shaft 66, thereby sealing the aperture through which the crank mechanism extends. Hence, in combination with the gasket 18 the gasket 90 completes a hermetic seal arrangement for the entire casket when the covers are closed. Note that because the latch blades 48 and 60, 60 move in opposite directions when camming their respective cover members downwardly, the latch-imposed horizontal drag forces on the cover members are directed to counter each other. Hence, distortions of the cover structures per se incidental to operation of the latching mechanism are avoided, and the possibilities of drag-force-induced distortions of the gasket 18 are also eliminated.

Whereas only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, it will be appreciated that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a casket or the like comprising in combination a main container portion, first and second cover devices therefor, and gasket means disposed to be compressed between said cover devices and said container portion when said cover devices are closed:

an improved cover pull-down and gasket compressing and cover locking mechanism including,

first and second Strike means extending from said cover devices respectively,

a latching mechanism including first and second latch blades slidably carried by said container and adapted upon displacement to alternatively engage and disengage relative to said strike means when said covers are closed,

said first latch blade having for initial engagement with said first strike a first sloping cam surface leading into an intermediate fiat land surface and thence into a second sloping cam surface and from thence into a terminal flat land surface,

said second latch blade having for engagement with said second strike a single sloping cam surface leading into a terminal flat land surface,

said strike and latch blade devices being so dimensioned and arranged that upon initial closing of said cover devices into gasket contacting positions, said first sloping cam portions of said latch blades are disposed in engaging registry with said strike means,

and latch blade actuating means manually operable to cause said latch blades to displace sequentially so that said first latch blade will initially engage said first strike only and cam it only into partially gasket compressing position, and whereby further operation of said actuating means will cause said first latch blade to hold said first strike in partial cover-closed position while causing said second latch blade to engage and cam said second strike into cover partially closed position, and whereby further operation of said actuating means will thereupon cause both latch blades to further cam their respective strikes into further cover-closing gasket-compressing positions.

2. In a casket or the like an improved mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein said latch blade actuating means includes a lead screw engaging said latch blades and operable to displace them relative to their respective strikes upon rotation of said lead screw, and a drive mechanism for said lead screw terminating externally of said cabinet in a manually rotatable member.

3. In a casket or the like an improved mechanism as set forth in claim 2, wherein said latch blades are oppositely directed and said lead screw is oppositely threaded where it operatively engages said latch blades.

4. In a casket or the like an improved mechanism as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cover devices are constructed to meet in lapped relation at their conjoining edge portions thereof when said cover devices are moved into container closing positions, said lapped portions of said cover devices being separated by compressible gasket means.

5. In a casket or the like comprising in combination a main container portion, first and second cover devices therefor, and gasket means disposed to be compressed between said cover devices and said container portion when said cover devices are closed:

an improved cover pull-down and gasket compressing and cover locking mechanism including,

a first strike extending from the free edge of said first cover device to extend through an apertured edge portion of said container when said first cover device is closed,

a second strike carried by said second cover device to extend through an apertured wall portion of said container when said second cover device is closed,

a latching mechanism mounted against an inside wall portion of said container and including a crankshaft accessible from exteriorly of said container for manual rotation thereof,

a lead screw rotatably mounted upon said container and having its end portions oppositely threaded,

gear means operatively interconnecting said crankshaft and said lead screw for rotation of the latter upon manual turning of said crankshaft,

a first latch blade slidably supported upon said container and engaged in screw-threaded relation with one end of said lead screw and so located thereon as to alternately engage and disengage relative to said first strike when said first cover device is closed,

a second latch blade slidably supported upon said container and engaged in screw-threaded relation with the other end of said lead screw and so located thereon as to alternately engage and disengage relative to said second strike when said second cover device is closed,

said first latch blade having for initial engagement with said first strike an upper downwardly sloping cam surface leading into an intermediate fiat land surface and thence into a lower downwardly sloping cam surface and from thence into a terminal flat land surface,

said second latch blade being directed opposite said first latch blade and having for engagement with said second strike a single downwardly sloping cam surface leading into a terminal flat land surface,

said strike and latch blade devices being so dimensioned and arranged that upon initial closing of said first cover device into gasket contacting position, said upper sloping cam portion of said first latch blade is disposed in engaging registry with said first strike whereupon initial rotation of said crankshaft will cause said first latch blade to engage and pull down on said first strike thereby displacing said first cover device into partial gasket compressing position,

and whereby further rotation of said crankshaft will cause said first latch blade to slide at its intermediate flat land portion against said first strike without further downward pulling upon said strike while at the same time said second latch blade is being moved so that its upper sloping cam surface portion moves into engagement with and pulls down upon said second strike thereby displacing said second cover device into partial gasket compressing position,

7 8 and whereby still further rotation of said crankshaft References Cited will cause said lower sloping cam portion of said first UNITED STATES PATENTS latch blade and the lower sloping cam portion of said 2 708 302 5/1955 Wilkerson second latch blade to simultaneously displace said 2723147 11/1955 Slaughter g a1 292 302 first and second cover devices to move into still fur- 0 2:787:487 4/1957 Baker lher gasket-Compressing POSitiOHS, 2,330 35 5 4 195 Christian and whereby upon final rotation of said crankshaft the 2,889,609 19 Eisenhard et a1 27 17 terminal flat land portions of said first and second latch blade members are brought into locking en- 1 RICHARD 'J Examine!- gagemems with said strikes- 0 W. E. KAMM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CASKET OR THE LIKE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A MAIN CONTAINER PORTION, FIRST AND SECOND COVER DEVICES THEREFOR, AND GASKET MEANS DISPOSED TO BE COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID COVER DEVICES AND SAID CONTAINER PORTION WHEN SAID COVER DEVICES ARE CLOSED: AN IMPROVED COVER PULL-DOWN AND GASKET COMPRESSING AND COVER LOCKING MECHANISM INCLUDING, FIRST AND SECOND STRIKE MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID COVER DEVICES RESPECTIVELY, A LATCHING MECHANISM INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND LATCH BLADES SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID CONTAINER AND ADAPTED UPON DISPLACEMENT TO ALTERNATIVELY ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE RELATIVE TO SAID STRIKE MEANS WHEN SAID COVERS ARE CLOSED, SAID FIRST LATCH BLADE HAVING FOR INITIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST STRIKE A FIRST SLOPING CAM SURFACE LEADING INTO AN INTERMEDIATE FLAT LAND SURFACE AND THENCE INTO A SECOND SLOPING CAM SURFACE AND FROM THENCE INTO A TERMINAL FLAT LAND SURFACE, SAID SECOND LATCH BLADE HAVING FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND STRIKE A SINGLE SLOPING CAM SURFACE LEADING INTO A TERMINAL FLAT LAND SURFACE, SAID STRIKE AND LATCH BLADE DEVICES BEING SO DIMENSIONED AND ARRANGED THAT UPON INITIAL CLOSING OF SAID COVER SLOPING CAM PORTIONS OF SAID LATCH BLADES ARE DISPOSED IN ENGAGING REGISTRY WITH SAID STRIKE MEANS, AND LATCH BLADE ACTUATING MEANS MANUALLY OPERABLE TO CAUSE SAID LATCH BLADES TO DISPLACE SEQUENTIALLY SO THAT SAID FIRST LATCH BLADE WILL INITIALLY ENGAGE SAID FIRST STRIKE ONLY AND CAM IT ONLY INTO PARTIALLY GASKET COMPRESSING POSITION, AND WHEREBY FURTHER OPERATION OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS WILL CAUSE SAID FIRST LATCH BLADE TO HOLD SAID FIRST STRIKE IN PARTIAL COVER-CLOSED POSITION WHILE CAUSING SAID SECOND LATCH BLADE TO ENGAGE AND CAM SAID SECOND STRIKE INTO COVER PARTIALLY CLOSED POSITION, AND WHEREBY FURTHER OPERATION OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS WILL THEREUPON CAUSE BOTH LATCH BLADES TO FURTHER CAM THEIR RESPECTIVE STRIKES INTO FURTHER COVER-CLOSING GASKET-COMPRESSING POSITIONS. 